


Alone Time

by Enlightened_Introvert



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Baggage, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 15:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9497231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enlightened_Introvert/pseuds/Enlightened_Introvert
Summary: Rose is haunted by her actions, and sometimes she just can't pretend they don't exist for her friends' sake. However, it's in her closest comrade, her soul confidante, that she finds comfort.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't proofread this. I just spent a couple hours typing this. It's the middle of the night. I haven't had a lot of Pearlrose feels lately, so this is a nice change of tone. They have a love that is deeper than our human trifles.

Rose pulled weeds silently as she pulled weeds from around a wicked-looking thorn bush, with thorns as long as her index finger and incredibly sharp, full of deadly venom. However, the blooms that grew around it could cure the adverse effects of several types of poisons. Rose’s mind was in turmoil, as it did every few centuries, when she could no longer pretend that everything is fine. In these moments, she would disappear to one of her many gardens and work for weeks until the bad feeling passes.

Occasionally, however, one of the gems would seek her out, either to see what was wrong or to spend some rare alone time with her, and she was happy for the distraction. Usually it was Amethyst; Rose was the only one who was patient enough to listen to her chatter about her day and let her run around until she passed out in a patch of sunlight. Garnet would come by occasionally to ask advice, as they had become co-leaders of the team, but Garnet was struggling with communicating with the others. And Pearl was the only one who knew when Rose wanted space and when she would benefit from company.

At this particular moment, Pearl chatted pleasantly behind her, going on about how beautiful it was that day and fretting about Rose sticking her hands in among the thorns, even though they couldn’t actually hurt her. It was so endearing that Rose couldn’t help but smile, despite her inner turmoil. She wasn’t sure if Pearl actually knew what was going on—Pearl was never the most perceptive to other’s emotions unless they were obvious—but she loved spending time with Pearl, nonetheless. Pearl sat on the stone wall that held the part of the garden that Rose kneeled in front of, watching her pull deftly at the stubborn intruders.

“Oh, Rose, the thorns!” Pearl cried once again, reaching for her hand.

In the process, Pearl managed to prick her own finger. She huffed irritably at the plant, holding her finger ruefully and muttering to herself. Rose laughed, surprising herself with the sound. She reached out and grasped Pearl’s hand and pulled it closer, pressing her injured appendage to her lips. She immediately went silent and blushed a deep teal. Rose smiled up at her innocently and turned back to her work, gathering up the pile of weeds and throwing them in with the small mountain of discarded greenery in the center of the walkway behind her.

As quickly as the good feeling came, it was gone, replaced with a crushing sadness. It felt like being hit by a train. Rose gasped at the suddenness and curled in on herself, oblivious to the reactive gem beside her.

“Rose?! Are you okay?” She cried, shaking her arm violently. Rose sucked in her breath and tried to compose herself enough to answer, but to no avail. Instead, she waved away Pearl’s hand and leaned against the stone wall, laying her head on her arms and hoping that Pearl would get the message.

She had expected Pearl to give her space, but feeling her cool fingers slip under her hair and press against her neck was something she didn’t realize she wanted until that moment. She rubbed the spot gently, humming a made-up tune as the setting sun warmed her back. After a while, Rose hauled herself up from the ground and sat beside Pearl, pulling her into an embrace.

“Rose?” Pearl tried again, burrowing deeper into the hug.

“I’m sorry,” Rose whispered against her hair, words were painful, but not impossible. “I... I’m sorry. I’m so…I don’t know. Tired? Sad?” She sighed, holding her closer. “I don’t know. I’m glad you’re here you’re here to talk to.”

Pearl turned in Rose’s arms and wrapped her own arms around Rose’s neck. “I am, too,” and then in a whisper, “is it about Pink Diamond?”

“It’s everything,” Rose groaned, happy to be relinquishing this weight for the time being. “I’ve caused so much pain, and now it’s all coming back to me. _It. Always. Comes. Back._ ” She sobbed. Seeing Rose cry like this—not for healing—would have scared Amethyst and made Garnet uncomfortable. Pearl, on the other hand, was fully prepared to shoulder Rose’s emotional baggage. After all, Rose had comforted Pearl in times like these, times where the past felt heavy enough to crush her. At the very least, she owed Rose a shoulder to cry on. But that wasn't an issue; She loved Rose.

Rose loved her, too.

Pearl pulled back a bit to look up at Rose’s face, swiping away a tear. “Please don’t cry,” she urged, clearly upset by Rose being upset. “What’s something that you would say if I were like this?” She was almost frantic, soaking up the moment like an emotional sponge.

“It’s not the end of the world,” Rose offered soothingly, feeling the bad feelings recede even as she said it, “there will always be good times to replace the bad. I don’t regret defending the Earth, but that ‘what if’ still pops up in my head at times like these. What if I had done this one thing differently? Perhaps Homeworld would have relented earlier and lose interest before creating the corruption. Maybe there wouldn’t have been a war at all and I wouldn’t have to have shattered Pink Diamond.” She felt tired, as if she had relived that entire experience in a matter of minutes.

“You could have looked the other way, like everyone else, and let Homeworld destroy another planet—your home! That’s not in your nature, though. You fought back when no one else would; that’s amazing! I’ve never met anyone more incredible than you.” Pearl blushed, saying more than she meant to say.

Then, without any preamble, they moved closer and pressed their lips together. It was a small and small, quick kiss, but it was enough. As much as Pearl loved alone time with Rose, Rose _needed_ this time with Pearl.

“Pearl?” Rose asked, resting her cheek against Pearl’s.

“Yes?”

“Thank you…for being in my life,” Rose whispered, heartfelt, “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Pearl was beside herself with emotion at that moment; she practically lived for moments like this. Not knowing what else to do, she laughed shakily and kissed Rose’s cheek. “I wouldn’t…be here. Or anywhere.” Pearl hesitated, a lump in her throat. “You know I would have been caught eventually. Defying orders and escaping is punishable by shattering.”

Their souls laid bare, they untangled themselves and watched the sun set below the horizon, content in the promise of good times to follow.


End file.
